


New Beginnings

by IllegalCerebral



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hospital, Blood and Injury, Doctor!Armitage Hux - Freeform, F/M, Injury, Injury Recovery, Mild Blood, Mild Hurt/Comfort, New Year's Eve, New Year's Kiss, Protests
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-02
Updated: 2020-01-02
Packaged: 2021-02-27 11:46:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,287
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22086601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IllegalCerebral/pseuds/IllegalCerebral
Summary: Instead of spending New Year's Eve at home as planned Dr Hux is drafted in to provide support just in case the ongoing protests against the First Order turn ugly. When it does Hux has a run in with a passionate protestor.
Relationships: Armitage Hux/Rey
Comments: 8
Kudos: 33
Collections: Reyuxmas 2019





	New Beginnings

**Author's Note:**

> This is my New Year's entry for Reyuxmas 2019.

This was not the way Hux had expected to spend his New Years’ Eve. All he wanted was to be home with a glass of something, watching the fireworks on TV with his cat on his lap. Standing in the drizzling rain with the ambulance crew waiting for something to kick off as the protestors continued marching down the packed street was the opposite of that in almost every way.

“Why me?” he had asked Dr Phasma upon arriving for work six hours earlier and being told he was being assigned to provide more specific care with a crew heading for the centre of the city.

“The First Order are expecting massive protests outside their headquarters,” she said.

“That’s been going on for weeks. Ever since they laid off a bunch people just before Christmas.”

“Yes but it turns out they also neglected to pay the promised severance packages or the wages of the few people they didn’t fire. Add that to the shady business practices finally coming to light and apparently people are sick of it. It got violent last night so the paramedics want some doctors there. You’re the only one free. Hope you didn’t have plans to get away early for New Years’.”

He hadn’t really beyond wine and TV, but that didn’t stop Hux being pissed off. Having no family and precious few friends outside of work meant that more often than not he was the one chosen to work extra hours or cover shifts. Hux usually didn’t mind. It looked good to the higher ups and allowed him to develop his skills and gain experience. Lately however Hux had begun to resent his co-workers reliance on him, their assumption that he would always be free.

The crowd grew noisier as the march continued and more and more voices joined the chanting. Hux yawned and downed the last dregs of his now lukewarm coffee, wincing at the extra sugar the paramedics had put in. The protestors didn’t seem tired, despite the fact that some of them had been doing this every night for two weeks straight since the mass redundancies were announced. On one level Hux despised the chaos of it but on another he had to grudgingly admire their determination to be heard.

“Hey!” a shout from across the street drew his attention. Two protestors were in a stand off against a surly looking police officer. The woman stood, chin raised and fist clenched while the guy stood protectively in front of her. To Hux’s eye it didn’t look like she needed defending, everything about her screamed ready for a fight despite her slight frame.

“We have a right to march, a legal right,” the guy told the officer, “You can’t put your hands on anyone here just because you’re on the First Order.”

“You little shit,” snarled the officer, advance forward with clenched fists. Hux frowned. Up until now the protests had been peaceful. Everyone in the city was well aware of the First Orders links to both the government and law enforcement and it seemed like extra care had been taken to keep the protests civil so as not to risk retaliation. That had worked so far.

“What did you call him?” the woman demanded.

“Rey lets go,” he tugged his friend’s arm, “they aren’t worth it.”

Hux watched them turn and the cop’s face twist into a scowl. He lurched forward, slamming his fist into the back of the guy’s head, sending him to the ground

“Finn!”

Swearing under his breath, Hux darted into the crowd, weaving in and out of people to reach them. The officer was raising his fist again when Rey leapt up and threw her entire weight against him. Hux paused in his run, awed by her strength as the officer tried to throw her off. He threw himself around but her grip stayed strong. Another cop made his way into the ground, grabbing Rey by the hair to drag her off while the first officer hit Finn again.

“Hey!” Hux burst into a run again, pushing through the circle of protestors who had surrounded the fight, “stop. I’m a doctor. That man needs medical help.”

“They attacked us first,” spat the first cop. There was a cacophony of shout of disagreement. Hux shook his head.

“I saw the whole thing and so did my vest cam,” the officer’s face went white, “plus it wouldn’t surprise me if a number of these people caught the whole incident on their phones. Now are you going to let me treat my patients?”

The officers slunk back as Hux and Rey helped Finn to his feet and headed towards the ambulance.

“We’ll need that footage,” said Rey.

“I lied,” Hux grimaced. He motioned for Finn to sit down while he grabbed some gauze and antiseptic from his bag. There was a nasty scrape across Finn’s forehead. It would need to be cleaned but probably wouldn’t need stitches. “It was enough to scare them off and get you out of there. You know they would have killed you if they could, and probably got away with it?”

“Some things are worth dying for,” said Rey, eyes burning. Hux looked at her for a moment, unable to speak.

“I was the one he hit,” muttered Finn “is it bad?”

“I need to clean the cut, there’s some grit from the road in it, and then I want to check you don’t have a concussion. What about you? That other officer yanked you pretty hard,” he said to Rey.

“My head hurts a little but that’s all.”

“Poe is going to kill me,” Finn laughed weakly, “We had new years plans.”

“He always said scars were sexy,” said Rey, “That’s an upside.”

“Boyfriend?” Hux asked. Finn nodded.

“He’s helping on the legal case against the First Order. There’s a crisis meeting right now, which is why he wasn’t here. Shame, he’s good in a fight.”

“The three of us could have definitely taken those guys,” Rey nodded. Hux could believe that.

He shone a light in Finn’s eyes and did some basic tests. Concussion seemed likely and something about the way Finn was holding his arm was concerning.

“Move your fingers for me”

“I can’t it hurts too much”

“I think it’s fractured from you trying to break your fall, you need to get to the hospital. They’ll probably want to keep you in for observation.”

Rey stuck her head out of the ambulance, watching the crowds walking past.

“It’s too dangerous to stay on your own,” Finn warned.

“I know. I’m just worried things are going to kick off.”

“I’ll call the control room and see if we can get extra people here,” said Hux, “but right now that arm needs to be seen to, Can you take him? If things do escalate we may need the ambulance here.”

“I’m safe with her,” grinned Finn, weakly. Hux found a sling, binding the arm tightly to prevent further damage. During the whole process he couldn’t help but keep sneaking glances at Rey. There was something impressive about the determined look on her face, the way she stood with her arms folded, watching the people marching.

“I’m sorry I can’t go with you,” Hux apologised as the pair of them headed off. In the distance a shout drew their attention and Hux saw the paramedics carrying someone towards the ambulance, clearly unconscious. Two more people were limping behind them and a there were a handful of other with cuts and bruises of varying severity.

“It’s started,” Rey bit her lip.

“Go.” Hux grabbed his bag from the ambulance. If it were taking people to hospital then he would need to start a makeshift triage station on his own.

“Thank you,” Rey grabbed his arm, “for everything.” Hux only had time to nod in response before the area was swarmed with injured protestors.

It was like something out of a war movie, Hux thought later. The ambulance sped off, over crowded with two critical patients and a third fading fast. Hux tried to treat as many people there as he could. A local café offered their tables and chairs for patients to sit at while he applied bandages and gauze as quickly and cleanly as he could. Anyone who could walk, he advised them to get out of the area as quickly as possible. The cuts gave way to broken bones as the night wore on and Hux’s supplies dwindled. The ambulances struggled to make their way through the crowds to take away the severely injured and some of the wounded ended up being carried away by the crowd to less busy areas. It was several hours before more doctors were sent to the scene to assist Hux and replenish his medical kit. He’d resorted to sending a kid away with all the cash he had to buy gauze and antiseptic from the local pharmacy.

It was almost midnight before someone gently pulled Hux away from his patients and told him to head back to the hospital while someone covered him. He had completely lost track of time and the adrenaline had covered up the fatigue and pain from working non-stop. All that was gone now and he barely had the energy to walk through the doors.

“You look terrible,” Phasma said and Hux was too tired to try and say something smart. “We’re at full capacity with the injured protestors and we’re still getting walk ins. Take a twenty minute break, wash the dirt off and then I need you back down here.” All Hux could do was grunt in response and head up to find a quiet corner to nap in.

He was snapped out of his haze by walking straight into someone.

“Rey?”

“Oh it’s you!” she smiled, “ I was just getting something to eat. Finn’s kind of out of it but Poe is on his way so they can ring in the New Year together.”

“This is hardly the best place to do it”

“No but we can’t fight our circumstances, only adapt,” said Rey, “You look like you could do with something to eat too. Wanna join?”

“I don’t want to intrude-“

“I owe you. If you hadn’t stopped that police officer who knows what would have happened?”

Hux shrugged. He honestly wasn’t invested in the situation but as a doctor it had been his duty to help. It wasn’t modesty, it was practicality.

“You should know that the food here is dire,” Hux said as he and Rey went through the meagre selection of sandwiches in the canteen. “The coffee is passable though.”

Eventually Rey got coffees for them both and a few pastries Hux manage to persuade the canteen staff to grab from the back. They were on the dry side but Hux assured her they were nicer than the sandwiches.

To his surprise she didn’t head straight back up to the ward.

“I want to give Poe and Finn some time,” she explained, “They’ve been through a lot this year. They deserve to have a moment just to themselves.”

“You’ll miss seeing in the New Year,” frowned Hux, “You’ll be alone.”

“I’m not alone. I have you,” she raised one of the cups of coffee. Hux blinked in surprise and then repeated the gesture, a smile taking over his face.

“To next year being better than this one,” said Rey.

“Happy New Year.”

In the distance fireworks went off and in a nearby ward the staff broke into an off-key rendition of Auld Lang Syne. Usually those things would have irritated Hux but there was something pleasant about sitting there listening to it with Rey.

“I always used to think it was silly to expect everything to change just because one year had ended and another began,” he mused.

“I guess,” said Rey, “I mean, there’s really nothing stopping any one of us from deciding to change on any other day but I think people like the feel of this time of year. It gives them motivation. It gives them hope.”

“You really think you and your friends can bring down the First Order?” asked Hux.

“I do.”

“I believe you,” Hux smiled.

“Many don’t.”

“Perhaps it’s the sentimentality of the season getting to me,” Hux stood up, “I’m sorry I have to go change and then get back to my patients. A lot of people were hurt tonight.”

“This is just the start,” Rey sighed. “The First Order won’t back down now, they’ll just get more violent.”

“Please tell me you and your friends aren’t going back out there,” said Hux.

“If we get hurt you’ll just have to patch us up again,” she smiled. Hux chuckled. Why was that such a compelling thought? “Oh I forgot! That other New Year's tradition!” Before Hux could ask what she meant, Rey stood on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “For good luck!”

“T-thanks?”

“I don’t know your name.”

“Seems like something you should have asked before kissing me.”

“Where’s the excitement in that?” laughed Rey. She grabbed one of the napkins that came with the coffee and scribbled something down before handing it to Hux. “My number. Give me a call when you’re off shift.”

“Dr Hux. That’s my name. I mean its Armitage. You don’t have to call me doctor.”

“Good. I don’t want you to think I just gave you my number for free medical care.”

Slightly dazed, Hux watched as headed back to the ward, pausing to give him a small wave that he returned. He gripped Rey’s number tightly in his hand as he turned and prepared himself for the day ahead with slightly more hope than before.


End file.
